Massachusetts

[kernals12]

I remember hearing about that proposal from a now-former MassDPW engineer shortly after I started working there in the 1980s.   As it was explained to me, the plan was not to widen US 1 through Saugus and Lynnfield, but to depress the main roadway (which would become I-95) and then cantilever additional lanes out over the main roadway, which would be US 1 and allow for access to and from the businesses.  Years later, a fellow member at our model railroad club claimed to have a set of preliminary engineering drawings for the project.  He never showed them to me before he passed away, and my research through the MassDOT Highway Division Plans and Records files has failed to turn up any evidence that the proposal went beyond the "hey, here's an idea for you' stage.

Yeah, that's going to cost too much, and be a nightmare to maintain with all the road salt we use.

Plus, how would you build it without having to completely shut down Route 1 for a period of time?  The businesses would LOVE that.

They did the Big Dig while keeping the Central Artery open

[MATraveler128]

I remember hearing about that proposal from a now-former MassDPW engineer shortly after I started working there in the 1980s.   As it was explained to me, the plan was not to widen US 1 through Saugus and Lynnfield, but to depress the main roadway (which would become I-95) and then cantilever additional lanes out over the main roadway, which would be US 1 and allow for access to and from the businesses.  Years later, a fellow member at our model railroad club claimed to have a set of preliminary engineering drawings for the project.  He never showed them to me before he passed away, and my research through the MassDOT Highway Division Plans and Records files has failed to turn up any evidence that the proposal went beyond the "hey, here's an idea for you' stage.

Yeah, that's going to cost too much, and be a nightmare to maintain with all the road salt we use.

Plus, how would you build it without having to completely shut down Route 1 for a period of time?  The businesses would LOVE that.

They did the Big Dig while keeping the Central Artery open

I'd imagine US 1 traffic would probably be diverted off at either the Ferncroft Rotary in Danvers or MA 62 to I-95, then down to Exit 63 to rejoin US 1 south.

[Pete from Boston]

Is there anything in the pipeline for bridges over I-93 north of Boston? The 129 and 62 overpasses are looking a little rough. 129 had temporary steel shoring under it for a long time and I believe had some recent work done, but I don't recall if the shoring was still there afterward. Regardless, there's a lot of rust and spalling.

Also, there's still a giant bite out of Roosevelt Circle in Medford where it was hit a year ago. There was talk of 8 months of repairs after that, but they haven't materialized.

[Ted$8roadFan]

Is there anything in the pipeline for bridges over I-93 north of Boston? The 129 and 62 overpasses are looking a little rough. 129 had temporary steel shoring under it for a long time and I believe had some recent work done, but I don't recall if the shoring was still there afterward. Regardless, there's a lot of rust and spalling.

Also, there's still a giant bite out of Roosevelt Circle in Medford where it was hit a year ago. There was talk of 8 months of repairs after that, but they haven't materialized.

The state mad a big deal about concurrent rapid fixes to a bunch of bridges on 93 north of the city a number of years ago. But I think they were closer to Boston.

[roadman]

Is there anything in the pipeline for bridges over I-93 north of Boston? The 129 and 62 overpasses are looking a little rough. 129 had temporary steel shoring under it for a long time and I believe had some recent work done, but I don't recall if the shoring was still there afterward. Regardless, there's a lot of rust and spalling.

Also, there's still a giant bite out of Roosevelt Circle in Medford where it was hit a year ago. There was talk of 8 months of repairs after that, but they haven't materialized.

The state mad a big deal about concurrent rapid fixes to a bunch of bridges on 93 north of the city a number of years ago. But I think they were closer to Boston.

That was the Fast 14 Project that happened in 2011.  They replaced 7 mainline bridges (separate NB and SB spans, so a total of 14 structures) on I-93 through Medford.

[pderocco]

Also, there's still a giant bite out of Roosevelt Circle in Medford where it was hit a year ago. There was talk of 8 months of repairs after that, but they haven't materialized.

That's so overdue that it's visible in Google aerial imagery and 3D imagery.

[kramie13]

Did MA-80 and MA-127 share drinks or trade personalities some time ago?

What I mean by this is that MA-80 travels north from Plymouth into Kingston but is signed east-west.  MA-127 travels east from Beverly into Manchester-by-the-Sea and Gloucester but is signed north-south.

Why!?

[MATraveler128]

Did MA-80 and MA-127 share drinks or trade personalities some time ago?

What I mean by this is that MA-80 travels north from Plymouth into Kingston but is signed east-west.  MA-127 travels east from Beverly into Manchester-by-the-Sea and Gloucester but is signed north-south.

Why!?

MA 80 is just weird in general. I don’t get why it just dead ends at an unnumbered road in Plymouth rather than just following Samoset Street to end at MA 3A. As to MA 127, I’m guessing that because it runs parallel to MA 128, which is also signed north-south, that they just wanted it to match so that people wouldn’t get confused by two parallel roads having different cardinal directions. Although I don’t like how MA 127 basically does a fishhook in Gloucester nearly intersecting with itself.

[DJ Particle]

Did MA-80 and MA-127 share drinks or trade personalities some time ago?

What I mean by this is that MA-80 travels north from Plymouth into Kingston but is signed east-west.  MA-127 travels east from Beverly into Manchester-by-the-Sea and Gloucester but is signed north-south.

Why!?

MA 80 is just weird in general. I don't get why it just dead ends at an unnumbered road in Plymouth rather than just following Samoset Street to end at MA 3A. As to MA 127, I'm guessing that because it runs parallel to MA 128, which is also signed north-south, that they just wanted it to match so that people wouldn't get confused by two parallel roads having different cardinal directions. Although I don't like how MA 127 basically does a fishhook in Gloucester nearly intersecting with itself.

Is Samoset still managed by the state?  If not, that may be why MA-80 still ends there.

[Ted$8roadFan]

Did MA-80 and MA-127 share drinks or trade personalities some time ago?

What I mean by this is that MA-80 travels north from Plymouth into Kingston but is signed east-west.  MA-127 travels east from Beverly into Manchester-by-the-Sea and Gloucester but is signed north-south.

Why!?

MA 80 is just weird in general. I don't get why it just dead ends at an unnumbered road in Plymouth rather than just following Samoset Street to end at MA 3A. As to MA 127, I'm guessing that because it runs parallel to MA 128, which is also signed north-south, that they just wanted it to match so that people wouldn't get confused by two parallel roads having different cardinal directions. Although I don't like how MA 127 basically does a fishhook in Gloucester nearly intersecting with itself.

Is Samoset still managed by the state?  If not, that may be why MA-80 still ends there.

I think MA 80 was impacted by the removal/relocation of US 44 to the freeway.

[kramie13]

MA 80 is just weird in general. I don't get why it just dead ends at an unnumbered road in Plymouth...

MA 80 used to end at US 44 before it was relocated.  Similarly, MA 109 and MA 203 now end abruptly when both routes used to end at US 1.

As to MA 127, I'm guessing that because it runs parallel to MA 128, which is also signed north-south, that they just wanted it to match so that people wouldn't get confused by two parallel roads having different cardinal directions. Although I don't like how MA 127 basically does a fishhook in Gloucester nearly intersecting with itself.

Bull-****!  I-495 and MA 110 run parallel to each other from Littleton to Salisbury.  I-495 is signed north-south while MA 110 is signed east-west.

[pderocco]

Is Samoset still managed by the state?  If not, that may be why MA-80 still ends there.

Massachusetts isn't like California, where state route signs are only allowed on state maintained highways. I recall places in Massachusetts where, going into the more populated part of a town, there would be an End State Highway sign in one direction and a Begin State Highway in the other. That makes sense to me, since it's more important that route signs guide drivers than that they tell drivers who maintains the road.

[SectorZ]

Is Samoset still managed by the state?  If not, that may be why MA-80 still ends there.

Massachusetts isn't like California, where state route signs are only allowed on state maintained highways. I recall places in Massachusetts where, going into the more populated part of a town, there would be an End State Highway sign in one direction and a Begin State Highway in the other. That makes sense to me, since it's more important that route signs guide drivers than that they tell drivers who maintains the road.

There are entire multi-mile stretches of certain state routes that are town/city-maintained. MA 133 from Lowell to Ipswich is almost completely maintained by the towns it travels through.

Handy-dandy state map that shows who runs what, https://gis.massdot.state.ma.us/roadinventory/

Samoset Rd is a town-maintained road, with state-maintained 80 ending at it.

Keen eyes can find the unnumbered roads that are state-maintained as well on this one.

[kramie13]

Keen eyes can find the unnumbered roads that are state-maintained as well on this one.

I found a couple in Mansfield!  There's also this sign that designates where a state-maintained highway ends:  https://www.google.com/maps/@42.0189235,-71.2142342,3a,24.8y,40.63h,90.92t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s7dzzD6oHaItb-IyDabVTLg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

[DrSmith]

Is Samoset still managed by the state?  If not, that may be why MA-80 still ends there.

Massachusetts isn't like California, where state route signs are only allowed on state maintained highways. I recall places in Massachusetts where, going into the more populated part of a town, there would be an End State Highway sign in one direction and a Begin State Highway in the other. That makes sense to me, since it's more important that route signs guide drivers than that they tell drivers who maintains the road.

There are entire multi-mile stretches of certain state routes that are town/city-maintained. MA 133 from Lowell to Ipswich is almost completely maintained by the towns it travels through.

Handy-dandy state map that shows who runs what, https://gis.massdot.state.ma.us/roadinventory/

Samoset Rd is a town-maintained road, with state-maintained 80 ending at it.

Keen eyes can find the unnumbered roads that are state-maintained as well on this one.

A lot of numbered routes (both state and US) are town maintained. I wouldn't be surprised if it is 50/50 mix or more town-maintained. There are large areas of towns with no state maintained routes, yet there are numbered routes through there. You can also see where routes switch between maintenance responsibilities on the map.

[Ted$8roadFan]

Is Samoset still managed by the state?  If not, that may be why MA-80 still ends there.

Massachusetts isn't like California, where state route signs are only allowed on state maintained highways. I recall places in Massachusetts where, going into the more populated part of a town, there would be an End State Highway sign in one direction and a Begin State Highway in the other. That makes sense to me, since it's more important that route signs guide drivers than that they tell drivers who maintains the road.

In Massachusetts, I think "end state highway"  means the end of the state's responsibility to maintain the road, not the end of the route. It definitely means slow down.

[pderocco]

Yes, that was my point. (Well, not the bit about slowing down. The "END SPEED LIMIT 55MPH" signs are another post altogether.)

[bluecountry]

So driving for the first time in awhile in Mass on 95 from RI, my observations:

1.  93 at the 95 junction in Canton, co-signed with 128, needs to be local/through from 95 to 24 if not route 3.
2. 93 at the interchange with 128 where it goes due North, really needs to be expanded to at least a 3-2-3 setup with full shoulders.

[MATraveler128]

So driving for the first time in awhile in Mass on 95 from RI, my observations:

1.  93 at the 95 junction in Canton, co-signed with 128, needs to be local/through from 95 to 24 if not route 3.
2. 93 at the interchange with 128 where it goes due North, really needs to be expanded to at least a 3-2-3 setup with full shoulders.

Are you referring to the Southeast Expressway portion of 93 or the 93/95 interchange in Woburn/Reading? 128 hasn’t been co-signed with I-93 since 1997.

I do agree that I-93 from the Braintree Split up to the tunnels needs to be expanded, but it would be very hard to do and would require a major reconstruction project that would be very expensive. The tunnel in Milton makes widening through there next to impossible not to mention the Red Line and Commuter Rail tracks. It would be nice though if MassDOT would expand the HOV lanes on the Southeast Expressway down to at least the Squantum Street exit.

[CapeCodder]

Did MA-80 and MA-127 share drinks or trade personalities some time ago?

What I mean by this is that MA-80 travels north from Plymouth into Kingston but is signed east-west.  MA-127 travels east from Beverly into Manchester-by-the-Sea and Gloucester but is signed north-south.

Why!?

MA 80 is just weird in general. I don't get why it just dead ends at an unnumbered road in Plymouth rather than just following Samoset Street to end at MA 3A. As to MA 127, I'm guessing that because it runs parallel to MA 128, which is also signed north-south, that they just wanted it to match so that people wouldn't get confused by two parallel roads having different cardinal directions. Although I don't like how MA 127 basically does a fishhook in Gloucester nearly intersecting with itself.

Hanging end for MA 80. I've been down 80, and got the sense that it's quiet there.

[bluecountry]

So driving for the first time in awhile in Mass on 95 from RI, my observations:

1.  93 at the 95 junction in Canton, co-signed with 128, needs to be local/through from 95 to 24 if not route 3.
2. 93 at the interchange with 128 where it goes due North, really needs to be expanded to at least a 3-2-3 setup with full shoulders.

Are you referring to the Southeast Expressway portion of 93 or the 93/95 interchange in Woburn/Reading? 128 hasn't been co-signed with I-93 since 1997.

I do agree that I-93 from the Braintree Split up to the tunnels needs to be expanded, but it would be very hard to do and would require a major reconstruction project that would be very expensive. The tunnel in Milton makes widening through there next to impossible not to mention the Red Line and Commuter Rail tracks. It would be nice though if MassDOT would expand the HOV lanes on the Southeast Expressway down to at least the Squantum Street exit.

Both the SE Expwy and 93 from Canton.

[bluecountry]

Does anybody have the ADT for the Mass Pike?
I want to see the volume from 84 to 290, 495, 128.

[Alps]

Did MA-80 and MA-127 share drinks or trade personalities some time ago?

What I mean by this is that MA-80 travels north from Plymouth into Kingston but is signed east-west.  MA-127 travels east from Beverly into Manchester-by-the-Sea and Gloucester but is signed north-south.

Why!?

MA 80 is just weird in general. I don't get why it just dead ends at an unnumbered road in Plymouth rather than just following Samoset Street to end at MA 3A. As to MA 127, I'm guessing that because it runs parallel to MA 128, which is also signed north-south, that they just wanted it to match so that people wouldn't get confused by two parallel roads having different cardinal directions. Although I don't like how MA 127 basically does a fishhook in Gloucester nearly intersecting with itself.

Hanging end for MA 80. I've been down 80, and got the sense that it's quiet there.

80 really doesn't need to exist.

[bob7374]

Did MA-80 and MA-127 share drinks or trade personalities some time ago?

What I mean by this is that MA-80 travels north from Plymouth into Kingston but is signed east-west.  MA-127 travels east from Beverly into Manchester-by-the-Sea and Gloucester but is signed north-south.

Why!?

MA 80 is just weird in general. I don't get why it just dead ends at an unnumbered road in Plymouth rather than just following Samoset Street to end at MA 3A. As to MA 127, I'm guessing that because it runs parallel to MA 128, which is also signed north-south, that they just wanted it to match so that people wouldn't get confused by two parallel roads having different cardinal directions. Although I don't like how MA 127 basically does a fishhook in Gloucester nearly intersecting with itself.

Hanging end for MA 80. I've been down 80, and got the sense that it's quiet there.

80 really doesn't need to exist.

Keep it. I would make it a north-south route and extend it to MA 3:

[Mergingtraffic]

Still there!